Innovations

Iowa Corn develops new bio-based manufacturing process

Late last year, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office published a patent application from the Iowa Corn Promotion Board (ICPB) for a production method using corn in the industrial manufacturing of a raw material called monoethylene glycol (MEG).

According to Rod Williamson, director of research and business development for Iowa Corn, patenting the research will lead to advances in the production processes for corn-based bio-MEG. He says it will eliminate the need for petroleum-based ethylene derivatives currently used, and create demand for Iowa corn.

Williamson says the traditional way bio-MEG is made is through a conversion of sugar cane ethanol—which is usually sourced by Brazil—to ethylene. He says ICPB’s new process can eliminate the added costs of bio-MEG by going from corn sugar to MEG in one step.

Most MEG currently goes into making polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a plastic used for beverage bottles, polyester textiles, and films, but MEG can also be used as anti-freeze, coolants, aircraft deicers and industrial solvents. A large portion of the current bio-MEG goes into making the biorenewable bottles for Coca-Cola, Heinz and PepsiCo.

AUDIO: Rod Williamson